In a motor vehicle, there are several fluid reservoirs which contain fluids that support operation of the vehicle. For example, automobile engines include an engine lubrication system having an oil pan which functions as a reservoir for engine oil. Automobiles may also include other fluid reservoirs such as a transmission pan which is a reservoir for automatic (or manual) transmission fluid, a radiator which is a reservoir for engine coolant, and a rear axle which also stores fluid cooling system.
In addition to the lubrication, cooling, and transmission fluid reservoirs found in most automobiles, many vehicles other than automobiles have hydraulic systems. For example, a typical tractor, crane, or earth moving piece of equipment includes all of the above support systems and may also include a separate hydraulic system to operate various devices and attachments. Hydraulic systems require hydraulic fluid which is stored in a hydraulic fluid reservoir.
The maintenance schedule of most motor vehicles typically requires periodic replacement of one or all of the above-mentioned fluids for the vehicle to remain in optimum operating condition. Neglecting to remove and replace these fluids may lead to eventual failure of the engine or system in which the fluid is used. Probably the most common example of fluid replacement in a motor vehicle is changing of engine oil and the oil filter. Most manufacturers recommend that the engine oil and filter be removed and replaced with new engine oil and a new oil filter in approximately 3750 or 7500 mile intervals.
A standard oil and filter change involves raising the vehicle off the ground in order to provide a mechanic with access to the underside of the vehicle. The mechanic places a drain pan underneath the oil pan and removes a drain plug found in the bottom of the oil pan. This enables the oil to drain from the oil pan into the drain pan. Next, the operator then uses an oil filter wrench to unseat the oil filter and removes the oil filter by unscrewing it from the engine block. Because the oil filter often has residual oil the mechanic is careful to hold the filter with the open end of the filter facing upward in order to prevent the oil from spilling from the filter.
Despite the careful manipulation of the oil filter by the mechanic, residual oil in the engine lubrication system typically flows from the oil filter inlet and exhaust passages found in the engine block. Despite careful placement of the oil pan during removal of the filter, the mechanic is often unable to recover all fluid exiting the open inlet and exhaust passages of the engine block. Oil may drip down the side of the engine block, onto hoses, other parts of the engine, the vehicle frame or cross members, and vehicle wiring. This problem is exacerbated because present engine compartments are relatively compact and crowded, and many vehicle components interfere with direct access to the oil filter. Crowded engine compartments also worsen the problem of oil draining down the engine block and onto other components because the mechanic is often denied direct access to the oil filter inlet and outlet pipes. Further, because of the proliferation of while-you-wait oil change facilities, the engine block and surrounding components are often extremely hot during the oil change which imperils the mechanic attempting to reach up into the engine compartment to wipe away the residual oil flowing down the sides of the block and onto the components. The hot runoff oil could also drip onto the mechanic. These difficulties and safety hazards create a disincentive for the mechanic to attempt to perform a tidy engine oil change with a minimum of spillage.
The above difficulties with removing oil dripping onto the engine and vehicle components also create pollution problems. For example, when a vehicle owner changes the oil in his or her vehicle, the owner may place the car on a street or over a dirt covered area and neglect to clean up the unrecovered oil which has spilled onto the ground. This oil is eventually washed away by rain into the sewer system or eventually seeps into the ground, polluting the soil and the water table. Even a conscientious mechanic can fail to completely clean the oil spilled onto the engine block, hoses, and other surrounding components. This oil buildup may be washed away while driving through puddles or in rain storms, and this oil eventually finds its way to the sewer system or to the soil where it again may pollute the soil and water table. Unrecovered oil also harms the environment by reducing the amount of oil available for recycling. Many states require that oil recovered during oil changes be recycled. Oil which the mechanic fails to recover for recycling is not recycled and must be replaced by new supplies of oil.
Changing the oil of vehicles having compact engine compartments also creates a safety concern to the mechanic, particularly when the engine oil is changed soon after the vehicle has been operating so that the oil is very hot. The engine oil flowing from the drain pan when the drain plug is removed or from the engine block when the oil filter is removed often drips down the engine block or onto components in proximity to the drain hole or filter inlet or outlet. This oil may be redirected by the engine parts or other vehicle components on which the oil drips. This redirected oil, particularly when hot, may flow rather quickly to an area where it then runs off the vehicle and onto the mechanic, possibly severely burning the mechanic.
While the above conditions have been described with respect to removal and replacement of the engine oil and oil filter, similar problems may arise when replacing transmission fluid, coolant fluid, or transaxle fluid on a motor vehicle. The above conditions may also occur when performing maintenance on hydraulic systems for tractors and other earth moving equipment having hydraulic systems.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which facilitates removal of fluids from a fluid reservoir or fluid bearing vessel in a vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an environmentally safe apparatus and method for changing fluid in a vehicle in order to maximize the fluid recovered during the fluid change and minimize the fluid which drips onto vehicle components and onto the ground.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for changing fluid in a vehicle which is applicable to engine oil changes, oil filter changes, automatic transmission fluid changes, and radiator fluid changes, axle fluid changes, and hydraulic fluid changes, and the like.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be permanently affixed to the vehicle to recover fluid during a fluid change.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for changing fluid in a vehicle which may be temporarily attached to the vehicle during the fluid change and removed from the vehicle for use on other vehicles following the fluid change.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method for changing fluid in a vehicle which is environmentally safe and maximizes the fluid recovered during the fluid change.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method for changing fluid in a vehicle which minimizes fluid lost during the fluid change, thereby minimizing the fluid which contaminates the soil and water table.